Recirc Wort through Plate Chiller and back to Boil Kettle question.

My idea is to recirc the wort after boil through my plate chiller and then back into the boil kettle to lower the wort temp down to pitching temps.  Once it's cooled down enough then Ill transfer it to my fermentor.  This way I wont chance cracking my glass carboy with hot wort. Silly idea? 

MY ADV

Not silly, but if your wort is that hot coming out of the plate chiller you should slow the flow rate down from the boil pot. I have a 20 plate chiller and I can get to 68 degrees in a single pass with mine.
What is your ground water temp? and What Plate Chiller are you using?

I bought a 30 plate chiller to coll down an elleven gallon batch. And my ground water temp is about 50 Deg F.  It's new to me and I haven't tried it yet. I'm still in the middle of reconfiguring my all grain brewing system.  It was just one of those unknown thoughts that has been swimming in my head.  I sure the first pass will be cold enough by having full flow on the ground water and less flow on the wort.  I building a 'T" where a thermometer will go so I can see the wort temp coming out.

Thank you!  8)

MY ADV

I recently experience the efficiency of a plate chiller.  After recirculating the wort until I achieved the desired temperature, it took one pass through the chiller.  I have to ask if you have a temperature gauge on the chiller output?

I recirculate through my Therminator to both sanitize the plate chiller and create a whirlpool.  I pump a  few minutes before turning on my chill water.  Depending on the time of the year, I will knock down the temp in the kettle or go straight to my carboy.  In winter, I can get down to 60F from 200F.  I try to get it to 64 or 65f which is my ale pitching temp.

I have a couple simple youtube videos http://youtu.be/_0jurTWqP0s and http://youtu.be/EHQHUGt3eus of my plate chiller setup.

Joe

My Adv,

I have used a plate chiller in a very simple two vessel electric brewing system for the last two brewing seasons. I pretty much do what jomebrew indicates. I recirculate through the plate chiller back to the boil kettle. The pump is temperature controlled to take the wort from boil to a 62*F pitching temp. By recirculating and then whirlpooling, almost all of both the hot break and cold break material is left in the kettle. There is significantly less junk in the bottom of the fermenter. So the beer and the harvested yeast is much cleaner.
Good luck with your new set up. I think you will be very pleased!

Preston

This also will help to combat DMS production that can be a problem in at-risk beers when using a non-immersion chiller.  As long as the wort remains above 170F DMS will continue to be produced.  So, the faster you get below 170F the better.  Recirculating will pull the whole kettle down below 170 much faster (more like an immersion).